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Calgary Stampeders running back Jon Cornish missed six games in July and August with concussion-like symptoms, but has been on a tear in the four contests since his return.Photo: Darryl Dyck/THE CANADIAN PRESS

CALGARY — Jon Cornish dearly wants to protect the grey matter between his ears. So do the Calgary Stampeders.

And on Thursday, the CFL club assigned Cornish, the reigning most outstanding player on the three-down circuit, to the six-game injured list with an eye to recovering from a nasty concussion suffered in the season-opener against the Montreal Alouettes.

“Jon continues to make progress in his recovery, but we understand the importance of being extremely careful with this type of injury,” head coach and general manager John Hufnagel said in a news release. “We want to make sure Jon has all the time he needs to get completely healthy.

Cornish is eligible to return to the lineup by Sept. 6, but he could be recalled early if the concussion symptoms suddenly abate.

“The future of my job(s) and life necessitated making a decision I will not regret,” said Cornish, who passed the Canadian Securities Course last winter and works in investments at TD Canada Trust. “To the fans that are worried about stats/accolades . . . the things I still have left to win aren’t won during the season.”

Cornish suffered the concussion on a clothesline hit to the head by Montreal linebacker Kyries Hebert. The CFL fined but did not suspend Hebert for the play.

“Embracing one’s circumstance is key to being happy,” Cornish wrote on Twitter after suffering a setback last weekend with a return of headaches. “What defines you is not how you deal with the good, but how you deal with the bad.”

With Cornish sidelined, Matt Walter will start Thursday at tailback for the Stamps in Edmonton, with help along the way from import Jock Sanders.

“Other players have stepped up in his absence,” Hufnagel said. “I’m confident that will continue to be the case.”